Where I write about running, marathons, Home Ownership, DIY projects, marriage, raising twins, growing up Polish and other Mysteries of Life

Monday, July 18, 2011

Bathroom Shelf - Part Two

In Part One, I talked about how I sanded and stained the wood portion of this shelf. Then I made it sound like I went right out and bought a can of spray paint. The truth is, I did this project over a week's time,doing a little bit here and a little bit there. For instance, I sanded the shelf with the belt sander and then removed a layer of sawdust with Mineral Spirits, then went out to run an errand while the board dried. But it wasn't until the weekend that I got around to sanding with the palm sander.

If you really planned it right, you could get this project done in 24 hours. The time to sand it depends on how anal thorough you are﻿ and it only take about 15 minutes for the Mineral Spirits to dry. The Polyurethane takes 6 hours to dry though I really like to let the last coat dry over night. The Wood Finish I used to seal the underside takes about 15 minutes to dry and then a few hours to cure but you can work with the other side in the meantime. Finally the spray paint dries to the touch in 15 minutes. After 1-2 hours you can handle the painted item and it is fully dry after 24 hours.

To spray paint the rack, I had to fashion a manner in which to hang it so that I could paint without causing a mess, inhale the fumes and reach every part of the rack. The common area of my condo building near the dumpsters was a perfect location.

A wire coat hanger and a piece of old chain I had lying around did the trick. I strung the chain around a rafter under the deck.

This was a lot of fun.

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﻿Even though this part of the rack will be covered by the shelf and not really seen by anyone, it is a good idea to spray paint it thoroughly because the spray paint is also a rust guard. Since this will in all likelihood end up in the bathroom, a high moisture area.

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The shelf came out looking really nice. Now I need to figure out where exactly to hang it.